Depends...... Typically the decision for surgery is made by most patients when the level of pain and debility is no longer tolerable despite allowing the appropriate time for healing and also no improvement with a well designed conservative management program. Shoulder arthroscopy is only one tool available and it is always most important to establish a clear and correct diagnosis first and then the treatment.

Shoulder arthroscopy. Immediate needs for a shoulder arthroscopy could be a septic (infected) joint, a history of recurrent shoulder instability (repeated shoulder dislocations and/or subluxations) with associated labral tearing, mechanical locking from floating loose bodies, painful and weak arc of motion with an associated full thickness rotator cuff tear. These are but a few reasons to have a shoulder arthroscopy.